This invention relates to vehicle tow bars, and more particularly to collapsible tow bars arranged for permanent or long term attachment to a vehicle which is to be towed periodically, as is common with RV enthusiasts.
Specifically, the present invention is an improved construction over my earlier vehicle tow bar disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,577,883.
Tow bars are known in the art and, until my earlier invention, they comprised ridged "A" frame tongue members connected pivotally to the front frame of a vehicle and movable between an operative, horizontally extending position for connection to a towing vehicle and an inoperative, storage position in which the "A" frame tongue member is pivoted and locked into a vertically extending position in which the frame and coupler projects upwardly above the hood of a car.
My earlier invention was a vehicle tow bar that comprised a longitudinally extending tubular cross bar mounted laterally across the front of a vehicle to be towed, the cross bar mounting a longitudinally extensible, telescoping reach having a trailer hitch coupler on the front end thereof, the reach mounted on the cross bar for lockable sliding movement thereon, pivotal rotation thereon and lateral pivotal movement relative thereto. A pair of chains connected to the forward position of the reach extend to opposite longitudinal ends of the cross bar and are arranged to become taut when the reach is telescoped to its maximum length. During hook up, the reach is permitted to pivot side-to-side, up and down and telescope forward and back so that hook up is greatly facilitated and does not require careful positioning of the cars relative to each other in order to connect the hitch components. When connected together, the reach is tensioned and locked into fully elongated condition, thereby tensioning the chains, and retaining the reach in direct, forwardly extending position prevented from lateral pivoting.
Functionally, my earlier tow bar has demonstrated ongoing superior performance. However, my earlier construction requires the provision of a heavy and particularly strengthened cross bar to support the forces exerted on it by the reach which extends forwardly from the unsupported center of the cross bar during towing. The particularly heavy cross bar and the chains result in considerable weight being added to the front end of a car, which is not necessarily desirable to the user. Also, since the chains are exposed to the elements during towing, and must be manually stored and retried from the chain tray before and after uses, there is the tendency for the accumulated dirt on the chains to transfer to the user's hands and clothing which poses an incidental inconvenience.